* and the person who created this skin, although Jane can't find your link...

Carissa's written entry & reflection

Saturday, June 12, 2010

WHAT MAKES A HERO?

The definition of a hero is a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. In this world, anyone, be it a businessman or a cleaner, can be a hero. A true hero helps people and exhibits traits of selflessness. A hero helps people, influences them and whom people look up to. They benefit the community I some way and overcome perils in a manner that requires courage and sacrifice.

ARE HEROS ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE ACHIEVED WHAT THEY WANT TO ACHIEVE OR DID THEY ARISE FROM SOME ‘SPECIAL’ CIRCUMSTANCES?

Heroes can be of both types. A person that changes the world for the better, helping one person out, or helping millions, can be considered a hero. If a typical person plans to achieve the target of inventing a wheelchair, and have achieved it, he or she is a hero. That hero invented a wheelchair, making it easier for those who have difficulties walking or moving around, and there are millions of people in the world who have that problem. Special circumstances may be a situation where a person is drowning and a passer-by just jumps on and save a drowning person. Although that passer-by only helped a person, he or she is still a hero to the person he or she saved and the person being saved will look up to his or her hero.

WHAT CHALLENGES DOES A HERO FACE? HOW DOES HIS/HER QUALITIES ENABLE HIM/HER TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES?

Force 136 is group of resistance fighters organized by the British. Lim Bo Seng is one of them. Lim Bo Seng was caught by the Japanese for invading their territory. He was punished and tortured by the Japanese to make him reveal the names of the other people in Force 136. No matter how hard he was being tortured, no matter how in pain he was, he did not betray the other members by revealing their names. This shows that he was loyal to Force 136, and was sincere to fight off the Japanese. This will improve the lives of the other people who were captured by the Japanese. After he was captured, he became a prisoner. The food they had was insufficient. Although Lim Bo Seng had the same amount of food as the rest, he still shared his food with the others. He became sick, and died eventually.

Reflections:

After knowing all the challenges that Lim Bo Seng had gone through, I agree that Lim Bo Seng is a hero. He sacrificed himself by sharing his food to the others, while he himself suffered. He also did not betray his fellow members as he knew that to fight off the Japanese, the other members cannot be captured, or else they will be lacking of manpower. This way, he helped the community and others. He always thought of others before himself, displaying selflessness. He is also brave and courageous, to make such a big sacrifice that benefit the community. These good qualities of Lim Bo Seng, also qualities of a hero, should be widely encouraged and followed, to enable a better society.